The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-23
MONTPELIER, VT, WEDNESDAY,, FEBRUARY 23 1887.

town in Vermont who care to do so, should |
have an opportunity to reap the benefit of
the sale.
FRIDAY of this week will be a gala day at
the capital and old and young will give
themselves up to the enjoyment of winter
sports, and especially to teaching visitors
from other towns to enjoy them. The pro-
gramme for the day is as follows: Ten A. NJ.
to II NJ, coastng and tobogganing; two p.
NJ. to five p. NJ, coasting and tObogganing
seven p. NJ, grand procession OF snow-shoe
clubs and toboggan clubs of ladies and gen
tlemen, and of coasting clubs, with parade
of decorated traverses, torch-light process
sion and illumination of streets. Eight p. NJ
to ten p. M, coasting and tobogganing. The
Marvin toboggan slde-the best in the
state-and the traverse coast will be FOR the
free use of visitors, and everything which
lies in their power will be done by the peo-
pie of Montpelier to make the occasion
pleasant one for all who may be present.
Strangers should announce themselves as
such to some one of the officers whose names
appear upon the printed programme or to
members of the various clubs, and having
done this they are assured of every little at
tention which can be bestowed in the way
of entertainment. They are not expected
to derive their enjoyment from watching
the sports (unless they prefer to do so), but
from participation in them, and need have
no hestancy about doing the latter to the
exclusion of the people of the capital who
can enjoy the sports at any time they
choose and will find their greatest pleasure
on this occasion in entertaining outsiders.
Invitations have been extended to clubs in
other towns to be present at the festivities
and to appear in the procession, which will
march through the principal streets in the
evening, headed by the Montpelier Military
Band. Half-fare tickets can be procured
on the lines of the Central Vermont and
Montpelier & Wells River railroads, good
for two days, and an excellent oppor-
tunity to visit Montpelier is thus afforded to
those who have no interest in the special
features of the occasion.
The popularity of entertainments by To-
cal talent was again plainly demonstrated
by the large audience which assembled at
Blanchard Opera-house on Tuesday evening
of last week to witness the presentation of
the laughable farce, The Two Bonnycas-
ties" and the pleasing opera, The Grim
son Scarf" by some of Montpeler's best
known dramatic and musical talent OF
these combined attractions the farce was
the first to be presented, Messrs. ii. A.
Huse, f. l.. Eaton and A. w. Ferrin and
Misses Eulie Eaton, Gertie Ormsbee and
Hattie Tromblee appearing in the several
characters. Those which were sustained by
Mr. Eaton, Mr.. Ferrin and Miss Eaton were
especially pleasing, but the others per.
formed well the parts assigned them, and
all, by their happy rendering of the mirth-
| provoking piece, made it most pleasing
! foretaste of the enjoyment which followed
in the setting forth of the opera, the cast of
which included
Cornarno, Venetian noble. Mr. II. c. Gleason.
citizen, admirer ."...Mr. T. r. Merrill Jr.
| and translator of Seneca)
Marco. his steward: ..:...........M Mr., viii Berry.
Blanca, Sassafrassos daughter Miss Josie Robinson.
| Tpssa her m r I ptkiu.
| The opera abounds in amusing errors,
comical situations, spirited dialogue and
sparkling music, and on this occasion was
made of additional merit by the introduce
ton of selections from other operas and of
several popular songs. Mr.. Gleason made
an imposing nobeman and his splendid
voice was shown to good advantage in
speech and song and in his oft-repeated
"Silence!' Mr.. Merrill was the funny
man." and everybody knew what to expect
from his part, for he had been there before.
| He has the enviable faculty of being not too
funny, and always keeps an audience in the
! best of humor. OF course Mr.. Bancroft
acted well and sang well, as everybody
knew he would Mr.. Berry's part was an
| inferior one in every way, but all that it re-
qured was performed by him in credit
able manner. Miss Robinson was charming
as Blanca and few, if any, of those present
ever heard her sing so well. Mrs. Pitkin
has long been favorite in musical circles
at the capital and her excellent reputation
| as an opera singer was fully sustained as
" Tessa" in "The Crimson Scarf" The
way in which Mr.. Scribuer played his part
was quite suited to the requirements Of the
occasion and the entire performance showed
the result of Mr.. Bancrofts careful train
ing. The entertainment placed SlS2 in the
hands of the Ladies Library Guild and
was therefore in this respect, as in all 9th
ers, gratifying success.
THE Owl Club mnstrels of st. Adams ar
rived in Montpelier by the noon express train
Saturday, accompanied by quite number
of lady friends. They were met at the
depot by members of the Apollo Club and
escorted to the Pavilion for dinner. The
afternoon was occupied by the visitors in
testing the merits of the Marvin toboggan
slide and by rehearsal at the Opera-house
There was large advance sale of seats for
the evening performance, and the attend
ance was the largest seen at any entertain
ment here this season and an unmiStakable
evidence of the interest which Montpelier
people felt in st. Adams favorite musical
organization. The programme opened with
the overture, in which the first selection was
a medley by the full chorus and orchestra
The Owl Clubs reputation musically, as
well as in other respects, is of an enviable
character, but many in the audience con-
fessed that their highest anticipa,ions were
more than realized in the splendid rendering
of the first choruses. The voices We're in
perfect harmony, the parts well balanced
with the possible unusual and pleasing eX
ception of larger number of tenors-the
movements in full sympathy with the
directors evident desire, the .fOrte passages
very effective and the pidniSsinlO places
even more so because more difficult TO pro
duce with such large number of male
voices. DIR. Sheerar officiated as inter,
locutor and the choruses attested his abil
itips "a = "A muSiral lirprtOr The halla lax